The Transport and Retail Allied Workers Union has issued a notice of a secondary strike against telecom companies, following a wage deadlock and ongoing protected industrial action at CJA Telecommunications.
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The Transport and Retail Allied Workers Union (TRAWU) has issued a notice of a secondary strike targeting several telecommunications companies and service providers, following a wage dispute and allegations of labour rights violations.
In a statement, the union said: “The strike follows the deadlock on the wage negotiations between the parties.”
It added that the action is being taken in terms of Section 66(2)(b) of the Labour Relations Act, as amended.
The union said the secondary strike follows a protected primary strike currently underway at CJA Telecommunications in Silverton, which it said has been facilitated under the auspices of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
TRAWU said the purpose of the secondary strike is “to allow our members and non-union members in your employment to support fellow workers currently engaged in a protected strike action within the same sector.”
The union said the action is also aimed at raising concerns over alleged exploitative practices by the Chinese company Huawei, which it says continues to disregard South African labour laws and exploit workers in the country.
The union further stated that it intends “to send a clear message to the four major network providers in South Africa — Vodacom, MTN, Cell C, and Telkom — that they must reconsider their reliance on foreign companies that exploit our citizens.”
It said they should instead “support local companies that have long contributed to the telecommunications industry.”
TRAWU said the strike action is intended to demonstrate solidarity among workers, highlight ongoing disputes, and call for accountability within the telecommunications sector.
The notice was served to several companies, including Bidvest Facility Management, Blink, Level 1, 24 Solutions, Pridin Trading, Huawei, Cell C, Telkom, Vodacom, MTN, Etel, and the CCMA Head Office.
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